Special Report

These Are the Cheapest US Military Aircraft

Public Domain / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service

The U.S. Air Force by far maintains the most expensive fleet of aircraft on the planet. The B-2 Spirit is chief among these with a price tag of more than $2 billion per plane. However, the U.S. military does not flippantly throw money around like many might assume by just looking at its annual defense budget. In fact, the U.S. Air Force employs many cost-effective aircraft throughout its expansive fleet.

Here 24/7 Wall St. is taking a look at some of the most inexpensive aircraft in the U.S. military. To determine the cheapest U.S. military planes, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry website, as well as various additional sources for prices of U.S. military aircraft listed. Included in this list are the 34 aircraft with unit prices of less than $100 million – adjusted for inflation to March 2024 using the CPI inflation calculator from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data on primary roles and primary contractors came from various military and historical sources.

One of the more notorious aircraft on this list that is one of the cheaper aircraft in the fleet is the A-10 Thunderbolt II, commonly referred to as the Warthog. Valued at around $18 million, the Warthog is known for its durability, firepower, and low-speed, low-altitude attack capabilities. It acts as a vital asset for ground troop support.

Separately, the F-16 Fighting Falcon is another essential aircraft that is valued at roughly $27 million per unit. Possessing a mix of air-to-air combat and ground attack capabilities, the fighter jet is used by various nations due to its affordability and continues to be a staple in the U.S. air fleet. (Exploring the fastest and most powerful fighter jets in existence.)

One interesting note about this list is that many of these aircraft are older, meaning they were introduced more than a decade or two ago. Production costs and inflation have remained relatively low for these aircraft and made them a cost effective option for the U.S. military. (These are the oldest aircraft in the U.S. Air Force.)

Here is a look at the cheapest U.S. military aircraft:

34. Martin P-3 Orion

Sundry Photography / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $96.89 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 8
  • Primary role: Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance
  • Primary contractors: Lockheed Martin

33. C-130 Hercules

usairforce / Flickr
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $93.09 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 338
  • Primary role: Aerial refueling, tactical passenger and cargo airlift
  • Primary contractors: Lockheed Martin

32. E-2 Hawkeye Airborne Command and Control Aircraft

usnavy / Flickr
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $90.49 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 83
  • Primary role: Airborne Command and Control, Battle Space Management
  • Primary contractors: Northrop Grumman

31. Bombardier Express E-11

Daryona / Wikimedia Commons
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $88.51 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 7
  • Primary role: Airborne early warning, electronic warfare, transport
  • Primary contractors: Airbus Military

30. F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $79.56 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 549
  • Primary role: Multi-role attack and fighter aircraft
  • Primary contractors: The Boeing Company

29. C-40 Clipper

passionforfly / Flickr
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $77.26 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 18
  • Primary role: High-priority personnel transport
  • Primary contractors: The Boeing Company

28. C-37A (Gulfstream V) and C/NC-37B (Gulfstream 550)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $76.63 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 1
  • Primary role: Passenger transport
  • Primary contractors: Gulfstream

27. UC-35 Citation

Public Domain / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $76.43 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 38
  • Primary role: Passenger and cargo airlift
  • Primary contractors: DynCorps; Valair and Pratt & Whitney

26. EA-18G Growler Airborne Electronic Attack Aircraft

Public Domain / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $75.80 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 153
  • Primary role: Airborne Electronic Attack
  • Primary contractors: The Boeing Company

25. KC-135 Stratotanker

barteq24 / Flickr
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $74.93 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 377
  • Primary role: Aerial refueling and airlift
  • Primary contractors: The Boeing Company

24. EP-3 Ares II

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $69.13 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 9
  • Primary role: Multi-Intelligence reconnaissance aircraft
  • Primary contractors: Lockheed Martin

23. C-2A Greyhound Logistics Aircraft

Public Domain / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $45.19 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 26
  • Primary role: Carrier On-board Delivery (COD) aircraft
  • Primary contractors: Northrop Grumman

22. C-20 Gulfstream Logistics Aircraft

Public Domain / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $44.35 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 5
  • Primary role: Worldwide passenger and cargo airlift
  • Primary contractors: Gulfstream Aerospace and M7 Aerospace

21. Leonardo C-27 Spartan

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $44.25 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 7
  • Primary role: Transport
  • Primary contractors: The Boeing Company

20. AV-8B Harrier II

Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $36.09 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 87
  • Primary role: Combat aircraft
  • Primary contractors: The Boeing Company

19. F/A-18 A-D Hornet

Public Domain / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $34.26 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 229
  • Primary role: Multi-role attack and fighter aircraft
  • Primary contractors: The Boeing Company

18. Bombadier Dash 8

JoeClemson / iStock via Getty Images
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $33.32 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 19
  • Primary role: Special mission, transport
  • Primary contractors: de Havilland

17. F-16A/B Fighting Falcon Fighter

usairforce / Flickr
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $27.81 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 22
  • Primary role: Adversary fighter
  • Primary contractors: General Dynamics Corp., and Lockheed Martin

16. Boeing RC-135

ajw1970 / Flickr
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $21.65 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 22
  • Primary role: Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance
  • Primary contractors: The Boeing Company

15. C-146 Wolfhound

Thanh Liem / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $19.43 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 20
  • Primary role: MEDEVAC, transport, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance
  • Primary contractors: Dornier

14. T-45C Goshawk Training Aircraft

Public Domain / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $19.27 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 189
  • Primary role: Training platform for Navy/Marine Corps pilots
  • Primary contractors: The Boeing Company

13. MC-12W Liberty

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $18.76 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 36
  • Primary role: Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
  • Primary contractors: L-3 Communications

12. A-10C Thunderbolt II

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $18.54 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 270
  • Primary role: Close air support, airborne forward air control, combat search and rescue
  • Primary contractors: Fairchild Republic

11. U-28A Draco

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $18.21 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 35
  • Primary role: Transport
  • Primary contractors: Pilatus Aircraft

10. Fairchild C-26 Metroliner

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $16.22 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 22
  • Primary role: Transport
  • Primary contractors: Fairchild Swearingen

9. M-28 Skytruck

Grzegorz Jereczek / Wikimedia Commons
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $15.63 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 5
  • Primary role: Close-air support, transport, search and rescue
  • Primary contractors: Sikorsky

8. Airbus Military CN-235

falcon_33 / Flickr
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $9.23 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 5
  • Primary role: Close air support, ground attack, search and rescue, transport, MEDEVAC
  • Primary contractors: Airbus Military

7. Beechcraft 1900

santirf / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $8.64 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 6
  • Primary role: Airborne early warning, electronic warfare, transport
  • Primary contractors: Beechcraft

6. DHC-6 Twin Otter

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $7.29 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 1
  • Primary role: MEDEVAC, transport
  • Primary contractors: de Havilland

5. UC-12 Huron Logistics Aircraft

Public Domain / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $7.18 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 28
  • Primary role: Light passenger and cargo airlift
  • Primary contractors: Raytheon Aircraft Company

4. Learjet 35

tomasdelcoro / Flickr
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $6.08 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 19
  • Primary role: Transport
  • Primary contractors: Learjet

3. Beechcraft C-12 Huron

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $3.78 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 95
  • Primary role: Transport
  • Primary contractors: Beechcraft

2. Cessna 208 Caravan

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $3.35 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 3
  • Primary role: Transport
  • Primary contractors: Cessna Aircraft Company

1. T-34C Turbomentor Training Aircraft

Public Domain / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
  • Est. cost per unit, 2024: $1.14 million
  • Active in U.S. Military: 17
  • Primary role: Pilot proficiency, low safe mission, and other aircraft support services for the fleet
  • Primary contractors: Raytheon Aircraft Company

 

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